


Long Enough to Know

by SolarisRasa



Series: Malec Request [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Timelines, Being Walked In On, Feelings, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Learning not to be a bad mom Maryse, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:01:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25526347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarisRasa/pseuds/SolarisRasa
Summary: Alec has the night off and Maryse is trying to set a meeting, one she needs special warding for. High Warlock Bane isn't answering his phone but she's sure he won't mind if they simply, pick him up on the way?There are things a mother should simply, never see.Aka: Maryse catches Magnus and Alec in the act. It has more feelings than it should.
Relationships: Alec Lightwood & Maryse Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Malec Request [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821445
Comments: 30
Kudos: 298





	Long Enough to Know

**Author's Note:**

  * For [destiel4evry1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/destiel4evry1/gifts).



> Probably not the thing the requester had in mind but uh, it was weird hard to write anything else?

“Raphael is willing to have the meeting but he is requiring it be on neutral ground and warded so that no one can enter with weapons.” 

Maryse’s frown deepened, “Vampires can’t leave their weapons at the door. What’s Santiago playing at?”

“Ma’am, with respect, I think he’s honest about the offer. He knows a ward can be set that won’t allow the Vampires to attack anyone, he just wants to be sure no shadowhunters have weapons on them either. We’re going to need a good warlock.” 

Izzy agreed with Underhill, her dark eyebrows raised as she watched her mother, waiting. Maryse did not like to feel outmaneuvered and this whole situation had gotten away from her quickly. A visiting Clan leader was requesting a meeting with the New York institute and Raphael’s clan and Maryse had tried to get Alec to force them to meet at the institute. Alec had refused, citing the power imbalance and his trust in Raphael. 

Now, the meeting finally moving forward, Alec was out of reach for the night. 

“We’ll need Magnus Bane.” Maryse sighed, hands dropping from her hips as she accepted the circumstances.

Jace and Izzy looked at each other. Izzy tried to ask him if he was getting anything from Alec with her face but he just looked worried for her sanity the longer she tried. Giving up, she grabbed his arm and tugged him close enough her mother wouldn’t hear, though it looked suspect as hell.

“Anything from Alec?”

Jace huffed, pulling his arm away, “Just the usual calm, he’s relaxed but awake. I can’t get more than that, we keep things tight when he’s uh, out.”

With an understanding nod Izzy turned to her mother, “I can call Magnus?”

Maryse shook her head, “No. It needs to go through official channels.”

She didn’t wait for her children to answer, just pulled up Magnus’ contact on the screen and tried to connect the call. He didn’t answer and Izzy sighed.

Maryse just tried again.

“Mom-”

“He is the High Warlock. Part of the job is answering calls, evenings included. I know that Alec works with him regularly, he knows the number.”

Izzy refrained from pointing out that Magnus knew Alec’s  _ personal  _ number. She sure as hell wasn’t going to explain that Magnus was probably not answering because of Alec.

Maryse dialed again, annoyed.

-

Jace tried again as Maryse marched them up to the loft’s door.

“Maryse, if Magnus wasn’t answering it was for good reason. He’s probably got both his hands full right now, we should try-”

“I don’t have the time to try and sort out another warlock. For something like this they’re going to need their High Warlock’s approval anyways. Magnus Bane has the power and it cuts out the middle man. I don’t know why you and Isabelle are so determined to assert he has good reason for not answering. He must be home.”

Her mouth was tight and her posture impeccable as she came to a clipped halt at the door, the four other shadowhunters with them, Bleakfell, Thornfallow, Singh, and Leviticus, looked uncomfortable.

“At least  _ knock-Maryse!” _

Jace had reached out to stop her, but not fast enough.

The loft door opened to the sound of a gasp, and not of surprise.

Maryse’s face drained of blood, “ _ Alec.” _

Jace couldn’t look away either.

-

Maryse Lightwood hated when she had to work with Magnus Bane. No longer did that hatred stem from the deeply rooted prejudice it once had, she had been working very hard on that between Isabelle’s list of downworlder friends and Alec’s refusal to put up with any inequality. Now it was because it was  _ awkward  _ and she didn’t know how to even begin trying to clear the air between them. She also doubted Magnus wanted to.

She had been so grateful to realize that their history had not soured Magnus toward her children. He loved Isabelle and Maryse had heard, frankly, too many shopping stories from her about the man's antics. He was always more reserved around Alec but she had thought they had a warm enough friendship.

Not this. 

She pushed open the door, assuming a warlock would not allow as much if they didn’t want, and found a thing to have to try and apologize to Magnus for. When she was done being shocked and upset.

Magnus’ loft was warmly lit, the doorway opening into the inviting sweep of the room as always. The living room had been arranged so that she had a perfect view of the couch. More exactly, of the two men on the couch.

Alec, naked, knees folded under his spread legs, straddling an equally naked Magnus. His gasp right as the door swung open, the line of his body as his head tipped back, his eyes closed, hands gripping Magnus’ shoulder and the back of the couch. Magnus, his hands gripping Alec’s hips and his golden eyes wide in alarm as he realized who was at his door.

“ _ Alec.”  _ It was involuntary, his name punched out of her in her surprise.

At the same moment Magnus snapped his fingers and a throw blanket covered them as he pulled Alec tight to his chest. Maryse was going to have to request a memory removal because she did not  _ ever  _ want to hear the noise that left Alec.

He seemed to finally notice that they’d been interrupted. Magnus was holding him protectively, a hand cupping the back of his head as his tall frame folded but he couldn’t obscure Alec from Maryse’s view.

She registered Jace, telling the other four to “stay the fuck back” and was distantly glad that he’d taken charge there.

“Mom?” Alec straightened, looking at her with wide eyes. She met his gaze, watching as red spread across his cheeks and down his chest, splotchy in his apparent embarrassment. He didn’t drop his gaze and she could see how anxious he was, the way that his body jerked like he wanted to curl back against Magnus but wouldn’t let himself.

“I-We needed the High Warlock.”

Her voice is strangled, not her own. She wants to yell, to ask how long  _ this  _ has been going on? To rage and protect her boy. She also wants to shake him for his stupidity. She tries not to focus on that one, uncertain if the ugly feeling behind it is from her worry about what sleeping with Magnus-fucking-Bane will do to his career, his future, or if it is from the knee-jerk reaction to downworlders she’s been fighting. 

“If you would step back into the hallway, I can be prepared to help in a few minutes.” Magnus’ voice is perfectly professional and she slides from shocked straight into angry and protective.

It is one thing to find out your son is involved with a man who you have a long and uncomfortable history with by walking in on them having sex, but Maryse thinks it’s quite another for said man to dismiss the entire situation and speak like it doesn’t even matter to him, whatever is happening here.

Alec looked between them, uncertain and with a shine about his eyes and Maryse hated.

She will be having a great many words with Alec about this but if he’s serious, if he wants this, if it makes him happy she’ll be happy. She will not, however, allow Magnus in a hundred feet of Alec if this is just some-some  _ conquest  _ for him.

“How dare you? My son is,” She gestured at Alec, “right here and you’re just going to what? Leave him for work and a ‘sorry, call you later’? I know your history with that Bane and if you think I will just let you walk over him like that-”

“Woah! Maryse!” “Mom!” 

Jace’s voice from behind her is shocked. Alec sounds pissed.

“No, Alec. I’m sorry we burst in but if this is just a  _ fling  _ for him that he can just brush you off like that I’ll-”

She’s breathing hard now, stepping forward, ready to do  _ something. _

“Mom. Stop it.”

She would but Magnus still hasn’t said a word, isn’t even looking at her, he’s staring up at Alec with a blank expression and she’s going to strangle him, fuck the accords, she’s going to make him regret laying his lecherous hands on her sweet boy. Alec’s heart is  _ fragile  _ goddamnit and she doesn’t want to watch Magnus Bane crush it in his uncaring hands. She takes another step.

Magnus looks at her, his eyes are burning.

“Maryse. You’re hurting him, you need to get out.”

“ _ I’m  _ hurting him?!”

Jace says something to the others and his hand closes around her arm, pulling. Alec isn’t looking at her now either and the shine in his eyes is getting worse, his breathing in getting harsher. 

“Get. Out.”

Magnus spares her a moment longer and then he is looking back at Alec. She sees his face go soft, terribly concerned, sees him reaching up and pulling Alec close again but a flick of his wrist and Jace’s insistent finally force her back into the hall, the door slamming behind her.

It’s silent in the hall and then-

“Maryse what the  _ fuck?” _

“Are you okay with this Jace?”

Bleakfell and Thornfallow aren’t in the hall anymore, Singh takes one look at Maryse and grabs Leviticus to follow them out.

Jace’s face is dark with anger, “With what? With Alec liking guys? With Magnus being a warlock? With him bottoming? Yeah, not that it’s any of my damn business.”

Maryse flinches, cringes at the last bit, “No! That’s...I-” 

A little of the fight goes out of her as she thinks about all the things Alec might’ve assumed she was angry about and her brows pull together, “It’s not about any of that. I don’t care anymore Jace, I just want him happy but  _ Bane  _ was going to just push him aside! Alec deserves more than-”

Jace snarled, “More than someone who barely acknowledges how amazing he is? Like you and Robert refused to for so long? Well, Magnus is it. Did you think he was going to just shove Alec off, snap something over his dick and leave Alec naked or something?”

Maryse grits her teeth, both at the reminder of how badly she’d done by her eldest and Jace’s crass picture.

“Angel’s weeping, Maryse! Magnus was trying to keep everything calm and get us to leave long enough he could check on Alec and get them both dressed!”

Maryse glared, “He could’ve just said-”

“Don’t. Alec can take a lot, you know? But he’s so private. I’m sure, eventually, Magnus and him will be a little less so, when Alec is more confident about  _ them  _ but right now? That was probably a nightmare for him, Magnus knows that. If it had been me they would’ve just yelled at me to get out. Some random person? I don’t know but Alec would’ve been freaked. You though? Alec hasn’t even come out to you yet and you just saw...a lot.”

Maryse makes a noise in her throat, she doesn’t want to be reminded. Jace’s words only serve to worry her more though and she berates herself for the whole situation.

“Is he-is he okay?”

Jace sighs, slowly, eyes closed. 

“No. He will be, but he’s not right now.”

-

“Alexander?” Magnus gently stroked up and down Alec’s spine, cradling his shadowhunter against him. He’s still inside Alec and it’s uncomfortable, especially as he’s soft now, but he ignores it.

“ _ Raziel.”  _ Alec chokes the word, a curse and a prayer and maybe just a word, against Magnus’ neck. His skin is damp where Alec lost the battle with his tears as soon as Magnus pushed Maryse out.

“I’m so sorry Alexander, I should have had more than the passive wards active.”

Against his throat he feels Alec’s shudder.

“It’s alright. I’m okay, just...I-” Alec pauses and groans as he starts to move, sitting up so again so Magnus can see how miserable he looks.

“I need to-” He gently lifts Alec so they can separate and Alec flushes again, “There. Now, I can snap us clean and into some clothes and we can go deal with whatever brought Maryse here in the first place,” Alec is already shifting but he looks so unhappy, Magnus catches him by the forearms, rubbing his thumbs against them gently, “or you can go into the bedroom and take moment while I tell  _ Jace  _ that we aren’t coming and give him Veritas’ number since they need a warlock, then I’ll run you a bath and we can talk if you want or we can just cuddle.”

Alec searches his face, “I’m the Head of the Institute Magnus. I need to go-”

“Right now, you’re my Alexander. No titles in the loft, remember?”

He debates with himself, dark brows coming together, and then licks over his full lip, the words seem to bring Alec some relief finally.

“You’re sure, uh, Veritas? Can handle it?”

Magnus shrugged, “If she can’t, she’ll call someone who can. If that’s me then it’ll just have to wait. I’d send Cat, but she’s busy.”

Alec nods, unfolding from Magnus’ lap. He’s so lovely, even with reddened eyes and the way his breathing is still shaky, Magnus loves him more than words. 

“Go. I’ll be just a moment behind you.” He snaps on a robe, Jace can certainly handle it. 

Alec steps back hesitantly but when Magnus makes a little shooing motion, smiling gently, he goes to the bedroom.

Magnus rolled his shoulders, headed for the door. He pulled it open quickly, seeing just Maryse and Jace in the hallway still. Maryse looked more cowed and he spared a moment to appreciate that.

She still opens her mouth to speak to him though.

“Blondie.”

Jace steps up, hand curved over his own hip and Magnus  _ knows  _ that Jace will step up in this, he always manages to for Alec. Isabelle too, always ready to help her brother.

“Here.” He magics a slip of paper with Veritas’ number on it, “She should be able to help with anything you need, though she might charge more if you’re rude,” he glances at Maryse, “or if you flirt. Alexander and I are going to be unavailable the rest of the evening.”

Jace nods, plucking the slip from his fingers, “Feel free to get him to relax, I’ve already texted Izzy, sibling takeover tomorrow. Maryse can even handle any 911’s while she’s around.”

Maryse, to her credit, doesn’t argue. Magnus smiles.

“All day?

Jace’s features soften the way they only seem to for Alec, Izzy, and Clary, “Don’t let him come back until Wednesday morning. We can keep the building together that long.”

Magnus nods, goes to step back inside, but Maryse speaks up.

“Wait! Magnus, will you tell him...tell him I’m sorry again? And tell him I love him, I’m not upset with him?”

Magnus appraises her, the way she’s leaned toward him and the urgency in her tone, she knows that Alec needs to hear it, needs to know she isn’t angry because Magnus is, well, all that he is. A man, a downworlder, an old enemy.

“Of course. And Maryse,” She nods, looking into his eyes. He let’s her look for a drawn out second, “I’d cut out my own heart before I hurt him or made him feel like ‘just a fling’. He’s everything.”

He doesn’t wait for her response, just closed the door and headed to Alec, his boyfriend was in need of some gentle affection and Magnus couldn’t say that he didn’t feel the same. 

-

“How long-?” Maryse asked Jace, the two of them in the elevator.

Jace shrugged, “I’m not really sure? When Clary crashed into our lives they met and started getting closer. I know Magnus had something to do with Alec finally putting his foot down about the marriage business, but,” Jace shook his head, “I noticed he felt...happier, lighter, after a while and he told Izzy and I not too long after. Long enough though.”

Maryse smoothed her shirt, “For?”

Jace sighed, “For them, and everyone who spends any time with them, to know it’s real. It’s very real.”

She touched her hands together, “I guess I should invite Magnus to dinner sometime?”

Jace nodded, “Definitely. Let him make the cocktails though.”

Maryse took a breath, smiling a little. She would have to make things right with Alec first, and finally figure out how to talk to Magnus, but she was hopeful.

Her son had found love.


End file.
